


Out of Body and Left Field

by Mossyrock



Series: Cap-Ironman Bingo Fills [3]
Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Because fluff and happiness is my favourite, Clint is snarky, Fluff, Getting Together, Injured Character, M/M, No Character Death, Out of Body Experiences, cap-ironman bingo fill, medically induced coma, teeny bit of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 11:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5289725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mossyrock/pseuds/Mossyrock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint is hurt in a battle and has to be put in a medically induced coma so he can recover.<br/>He wakes up and is suddenly having an out of body experience. He can see and hear everything going on around him and deals with it in his usual sarcastic and snarky manner. Unfortunately, Steve and Tony keep fighting in his hospital room. Until they aren't fighting anymore and Clint would like some bleach for his brain, please.<br/>"Out of Body" fill for my bingo card.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of Body and Left Field

**Author's Note:**

> I have no medical knowledge, so I'm making it up. Just go with me.  
> Sorry for hurting Hawkeye. I love him, but he drew the short straw on this one.  
> Luckily, everyone lives happily ever after.  
> I pictured this in the Avengers Assemble universe, but it's not true to canon in any universe, so picture whichever you prefer.

The Avengers were the first line of defence for the world against super villains. But underneath it all, they were still _mostly_ human.

Steve was a super-human, but he was still human. He could take more damage and heal quicker than the others, but he still ultimately got hurt. Bruce was protected by the Other Guy. If he got injured, the Other Guy healed him immediately or stopped him from getting hurt in the first place. It was a handy little trick, but the side effect of giant green monster wasn’t ideal. God only knows how Thor worked. He might have been made from stone, for the amount he got hurt. He occasionally got a few scratches, but most damage bounced off him. He had lived for centuries and would presumably live for many more.

Unluckily, the other members of the group weren’t so fortunate, or in Bruce’s case, unfortunate. Tony, Natasha and Clint were completely human and therefore able to be wounded, sometimes badly. They were highly skilled and took precautions, but they all knew the risks and had resigned themselves that one of these days might be their last.

It was a routine fight, saving the world as per usual. It was nothing particularly dangerous, but Hawkeye had fallen from an eighth story fire escape when it gave way and neither Iron Man nor Thor were able to swoop in and save him in time. Luckily, he fallen into a skip in the alleyway beneath the stairs.

He’d been bleeding badly when they found him, unconscious but alive. Natasha had screamed for a medic and sat with him in the ambulance as they drove away from the scene. The medics had wanted to protest her riding with him, but her demeanour had negated any argument. Arguing with Natasha on a good day was sure to end badly. But this was not a good day. No one had seen Natasha so upset before. She hadn’t been crying, but her yells for help were enough to haunt the others as they watched them drive away.

The fight was over quickly after that, the others desperate to follow, as if their presence at the hospital could be the thing that saves him.

The team arrived at the hospital ten minutes later, subdued and nervous. Every member had been hurt at one time or another, but this was by far the worst yet. No one spoke, not even to give each other the usual meaningless platitudes. They couldn’t bring themselves to say anything, because they couldn’t bear to think that they might be wrong or jinx it somehow. He had to be ok.

Even Fury had been more subdued than usual as he ordered SHIELD in to clean up the mess, not that it was easy to tell.

Clint was in surgery when they arrived after what seemed like the longest car ride in history. Natasha was pacing the otherwise empty waiting room. The others were shocked to find it so quiet. No matter the time, day or night, waiting rooms in hospitals were never empty. Even the nurses were avoiding walking through. But as soon as they saw Natasha, they knew why.

She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t screaming. She was pacing the room, wide eyes staring straight ahead. She looked like the walking dead, covered in blood and so very pale. Bruce tried to comfort her, but she pushed him away, eyes unseeing, and continued pacing as if she’d never been interrupted.

The others shared a look. Thor shook his head and took a seat and the others following suit in silence. They waited there, with the sharp alcohol smell of the hospital burning their eyes and throats, distracting them from the pounding of their hearts and overwhelming sense of foreboding.

Surprisingly, Clint was out of surgery within the hour, but the news wasn’t good. He was stable, but he had a long way to go. He’d been lucky, the doctor said. He’d been put in a medically induced coma, she continued. He’d be ok, but he needed rest.

Natasha had nodded once at the doctor, turned to the others, nodded again and left without a word. Thor followed her, but reappeared a few minutes later looking solemn.

“Natasha has left for home. She wishes to be left alone.”

“Is she alright?” Steve asked.

“She is shaken, but she is a strong soldier and will no doubt recover quickly.”

Clint was put in a private room in the furthermost corner of the hospital, away from prying eyes. Steve volunteered to be the one to stay, allowing the others to go home, wash up and sleep off the fight.

If it was because he felt responsible for every person under his command, that was his business.

~~~~~~

Hawkeye woke up feeling woozy. The whole room seemed to be spinning. He sat up, opening his eyes and looking around. Cap sat in a chair across the room, head in hands. Clint tried to call out to him, but no sound escaped him. He threw his legs over the side of the bed, getting to his feet and walking over to him. Cap hadn’t looked up and when Clint tried to touch his shoulder, the other man didn’t even flinch. Clint tapped his shoulder again, but his hand didn’t seem to connect.

_What the fuck?_

Looking back towards the bed, Clint could see himself, lying there, tubes sticking out of his mouth and his hands and monitors beeped regularly, measuring his heart beat, which hadn’t changed at all, despite the fact that he was looking at his own nearly dead body.

_At least I’m still alive… I think._

He looked down at himself, or the himself that he currently was, and saw that he was still dressed in his armour, and while he seemed solid enough, he somehow knew that no one else would be able to see him.

Clint didn’t know if it was magic or something else, but it felt strange to be out of his own body. His hand had touched Steve’s shoulder, but he hadn’t felt it, and neither had the Captain. He couldn’t seem to feel, but he wasn’t unfeeling. It was a weird sensation. His feet were on the ground, but he couldn’t feel anything beneath them.

_Well this is super weird and creepy._

He walked over to the door, touching the knob. But he couldn’t move it and he couldn’t move through it.

_I’m definitely not a ghost then._

As he moved back towards the bed, touched his hand to his own face, but his hand stopped just as it had when he’d touched Steve. Looked like he couldn’t just lie down and be re-absorbed into his body. This was going to be a problem.

It said a lot about his life and psyche that he wasn’t all that worried about this situation.

Steve sighed and sat back, stretching his back and shoulders. He looked at the Clint lying on the bed and looked so very tired.

 _What happened?_ He wanted to ask Cap, to leave him lying prone and dead looking. Before he could try again to force the sound from his pseudo spirit throat, the door opened and Thor walked into the room.

“Captain, how fairs Hawkeye this morning?” Thor’s usual booming voice was very deliberately tempered.

“No change. The doctors are monitoring him though, so hopefully as soon as something changes, we’ll know.” He gave Thor a weak smile and stood, stretching his legs and walking to join Thor in the doorway.

“That is good news. Now it is my turn to watch over our fallen brother. Go home, Steven. Rest. I’m afraid we need our leader now more than ever.” Thor clapped Steve on the back, a hard smack that would have sent Clint flying, but Steve didn’t even cringe.

“Thanks Thor.” He patted the hand on his shoulder, as he walked past into the hallway.

Clint followed Steve through the door only to be knocked backwards down the hallway when Tony appeared out of nowhere. He hadn’t fallen, and he hadn’t been hurt, but he was disoriented for a second. This being a ghost thing was weird as hell.

“How’s Barton doing?” Tony asked quietly.

“No change.” The change in Steve’s demeanour however, was pronounced. He had straightened and hardened at the sight of Tony, as if preparing for battle.

“It’s your fault he’s in there, you know?” Tony looked as if he hadn’t slept and his eyes were glaring daggers at Steve.

“My fault? How is it my fault?” Steve looked tired and confused, but he hadn’t back down even an inch. Clint wanted to interrupt and tell him that nobody was at fault, but he still couldn’t say a thing.

“You sent him into danger. He would’ve been fine if we’d stuck with my plan.”

“I’m sorry?” Steve was always on a hair trigger when one of his team was hurt. Tony should have known better, but he was always the most reckless of them.

An angry Captain America was a sight to behold and not a sight you want to see if you’re the one he’s directing his fury towards. Yet Tony constantly baited the man. He seemed to derive some sort of pleasure from winding him up until he snapped. What he was hoping to achieve had always been a mystery to the others.

“You heard me.” Tony had crowded up against Steve. He was a good few inches shorter, but he glared up at Steve like the blond man couldn’t kill him with the merest flick of the wrist.

“You were the one supposed to be there to catch him. This is just so typical of you, Tony. You should’ve stuck with the _official_ plan. The plan we all agreed on. I’m sorry that your ego was hurt, but we all would’ve been fine if you’d been where you were supposed to be.” Steve pushed the other man back. If it’d been anyone else, the push would have been considered a gentle nudge. But with the super strength, it meant Tony stumbled back a few steps.

_Oh shit._

“You think you’re always right, don’t you, Captain Righteous? Well guess what? You aren’t.” A finger was poked into Steve’s shoulder, where a cut would have been, if not for his super healing. He was still in his uniform and the rips were the only remaining sign that he’d been in any type of fight recently.

“God damn it, Tony!” Steve had grabbed Tony and shoved him against the wall with his full body. They were breathing heavily and staring at each other with undisguised anger.

Thor opened the door and strolled out ever so casually. He was the best at defusing them, with his calm and regal manner seeming to shame them into submission. Sometimes he was like an overgrown kid. But at times like this, you could see the king in him.

“Iron Man, Captain, perhaps it would be best if you stopped this fighting. It is not beneficial to anyone and Barton needs peace and quiet if he is to recover.”

“Alright, Thor. But this isn’t over.” Tony pushed Steve away. Steve went willingly and stepped back, rubbing his face and sighing. Tony had disappeared into Clint’s room and had forcefully shut the door behind him.

“Go home and rest, Steve. We are all upset and looking for someone to blame. He will come around to see sense.”

“Call me if anything changes.” Whether he was talking about Tony, Clint or both wasn’t a question.

“Of course.” Thor gave him a reassuring smile and walked back into the room.

The door closed behind Thor leaving Steve and Clint alone in the hallway.

“Why do I let him affect me? Why doesn’t he like me?” Steve wondered out loud, dejectedly. He sighed and the tension left this body, leaving him looking haggard. 

_Because you just hate each other, dude._

Steve walked away, hunched and still dirty from the fight. Clint knew better than to try to follow. If he was to ever wake up, his soul or whatever he was right now needed to stay with his body, as tempting as it was to want to explore while invisible. Hell, he’d had dreams about this. There had to be a women’s locker room somewhere he could get into.

He was stranded in the hall for only ten minutes before Thor exited the room and Clint managed to slither in before the door closed. He didn’t know what would happen if the door closed on him, but he wasn’t overly keen to find out.

Tony was slouched in the chair that Steve had occupied for the night. He seemed to have calmed down, which Clint attributed to a dressing down from the thunder god. Seriously, having an actual god telling you to grow up was one hell of an experience. One that both Tony and Clint had been on the receiving end of more than once.

“Hey, Barton. Get better already, because this is boring.”

_You think I like being half dead? What the fuck happened anyway?_

Clint sat on the edge of the bed, next to his own legs. He tried to touch himself again, but again nothing happened. It was seriously tripping him out.

“Natasha is being scarier than I’ve ever seen her. I came here just to get away from her, so don’t go thinking I’m here for you or anything,” He said, pulling out his phone and starting to idly play around with armour specs. Tony was never far away from his inventions, even stuck in a hospital.

_Is she ok? Is she hurt?_

As if he’d heard him, Tony continued.

“She’s not eating, sleeping or doing anything but staring at the walls. She apparently really likes you, not that you deserve it.”

_Hey! I’m awesome. You’re just jealous of my bow skills, Tin Man._

“Cap didn’t look like he slept a wink either. Probably your snoring.”

_Have you heard yourself? Last time you fell asleep on the couch we thought a helicopter had landed on the roof._

“Not that I care about the Capsicle. It’s just if another lunatic starts something, we can’t have half the team out of commission.”

_Sure. You keep telling yourself that. You secretly care._

“Look, if you can hear this like they say that you can, and repeat any of what I’m about to say, I will kill you. It will be painful, alright?”

_Sure thing, Shellhead. Like you could kill me anyway._

Tony looked around the room as if looking for a hidden camera or someone hiding in a corner, before he lowered his voice and said, “It’s my fault you got hurt… It’s always my fault.”

_Tony Stark, taking the blame? When did hell freeze over?_

”People die every day because of my weapons. I thought when I stopped making them that I could help people, make up for my mistakes, but instead, I got you put into a coma.”

_I’m in a coma? Damn._

“I fucked up. I try to do my best, make him proud, but I fail. I’ve never been very good with failure.”

_No shit, Sherlock._

“But don’t you dare tell anyone I said that.” Tony pointed a finger at the Clint on the bed, accusingly.

_Scouts honour. Unless someone asks. Or I come up with a funny way to tease you about this. Then all bets are off and you didn’t hear me agree to this. Not that you heard me agree with this anyway._

“I’m sorry, Clint.”

Clint was shocked into paralysis. Tony never apologised. All of a sudden Clint couldn’t help but see the man in a whole new light.

Tony looked away from the real Clint’s face, the one lying on the bed. He looked so wrecked, like he did when he surfaced after he’d gotten lost in one of his inventions and lost track of time again. But this time, he didn’t have that manic grin he got when he’d cracked a problem. This time, he just looked old.

It didn’t take long for Tony to fall asleep, leaving Clint bored out of his mind. How was he expected to live like this? If this was living… He wasn’t exactly sure at this point.

~~~~~~

Time seemed to crawl by. Tony left, replaced by Bruce, who didn’t so much as utter a word as he sat by the bedside, reading some thick science fiction book and glancing up every once in a while to look at the prone Clint.

Clint had taken to staring out the tiny window in the door or at the ceiling. Occasionally a cute doctor walked past, or better yet, came in to check on him, which helped to break the monotony. He wished they’d at least turn on the TV. Tony had a terrible habit of watching CSI endlessly, but he’d take that over this tedium any day.

Tony turned up to relieve Thor, on what Clint thought was the third day. About an hour later, Steve entered. The looks of shocked horror shared between the two men immediately perked Clint up. He felt slightly bad for wanting them to fight, just so he would have something to entertain him, but at this point, he’d settle for watching paint dry.

“Sorry. I thought it was Thor’s turn.” The Captain gestured to the door uselessly.

“It was. He left a little while ago.” Tony had closed his laptop and was glaring at the Captain like he always did.

“Ok. Of course,” Silence descended, heavy and thick. “Did you want to swap?”

“Because I don’t care as much as you? Do I not deserve to be here as much as you, oh courageous Captain?” Tony had stood up and was approaching Steve in what could only be described in a predatory manner. Steve had his back pressed to the door now, looking slightly scared of Tony’s undeserved wrath.

Unlike Tony, Steve didn’t like the fighting. He truly wanted them to be friends, so Clint thought.

Steve sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, as if to dispel a non-existent headache. It was one of his habits from before the serum and betrayed his feelings more than any other expression, since they knew he couldn’t get headaches anymore. Except the metaphorical of course. Which usually included villains and Tony.

“Tony, you deserve to be here. I’m not saying that… Why do you always have to make it so hard to like you?” He sighed.

“I make it hard for you? You’re the one who goes around judging us all from up on your high horse.” Tony was ranting, flinging his arms about and his voice had crept up a few notches.

“I’m not judging you.” Compared to Tony, Steve was practically whispering. He looked worn out and weary.

“Oh yeah? So your judgey face is just the default setting?”

“I don’t have a ‘judgey face’.” His current face was adorably confused. Tony didn’t notice though, since he’d turned to face the bed.

“You do so. You blame me for everything. For the accident with that junior villain last week. For the fact that Hawkeye is injured. It’s always my fault.” It came out angry, but his face betrayed how sad and tired he was. Clint had never seen Tony so expressive before. He looked like his whole world was crumbling. Clint’s chest tightened as he saw the sincerity in his eyes.

_Do you really believe that? God, Tony…_

“No, it’s not. It’s not your fault. I’m sorry I said that. I was angry and worried, but I didn’t mean it.” Steve took a few steps forward, hands out in a placating gesture. Tony flinched as he saw him move out of the corner of his eye. Was he expecting Steve to hit him?

“Just like you haven’t meant the thousand little barbed comments about my lifestyle?” This time he glanced over his shoulder at Cap, mask of indifference sliding back into place. But his eyes still betrayed his honesty.

“I’m sorry. What more do you want from me?” Steve was virtually begging. He looked so broken. Almost as broken as Tony.

Clint had seen these two fight so many times, but this was different. Maybe they’d reached breaking point. He wanted to stop them, but he couldn’t do anything but sit and watch it happen in front of him. He got the feeling this could end very badly.

“What I want… You don’t want to know what I want.” He looked away again. His eyes shone with… tears?

“I do, Tony, please.” Any fight that had been in the Captain had long since fled. He just looked like he’d give anything for them to get along for once. Maybe he would.

“I’m going home. You take guard, watchdog.” Tony pushed past Steve again. Steve stepped aside easily, as if allergic to Tony’s touch. The door shut, ending the conversation. Steve followed Tony to the door and watched him leave, but didn’t go after him.

Steve sighed again and collapsed into the chair.

~~~~~~

Time had now become immeasurable for Hawkeye. He thought it had been at least a week, but without an external window it was entirely guesswork. All the Avengers had come and gone, except Natasha, who hated hospitals and couldn’t bear to see Clint like this. Clint understood that better than most. Nothing good had ever happened to them in a hospital.  

He’d become so tempted to walk around and explore. He’d only gotten as far as the end of the hall when he’d felt an unmistakable pull back towards his body and decided that being stuck forever in this purgatory wasn’t worth the fun of running around being invisible. He’d probably regret the lost opportunity, but he’d rather regret it in his own body.

Occasionally, that cute nurse or doctor would drop by to check on him and fawn all over whichever Avenger was currently in residence in the single chair. It was nice to be looked after, though the sponge baths and massaging to prevent sores wasn’t exactly pleasant to witness happening to his motionless body. If he’d been awake though…

Thor was by his bedside again when raised voices could be heard in the hall. Clint sighed, automatically knowing what was coming. There was a certain feeling in the air around Steve and Tony, which was unmistakable.

“Why must they fight? Don’t they realise how much they hurt each other?” The god pondered.

_I don’t know, man._

The door burst open and they momentarily stopped bickering to greet Thor. He stood, nodded at them and left without a word. Even gods got fed up with the fighting apparently.

“All I’m asking is, did you have to argue with Fury like that?” Steve began like Thor hadn’t even been there.

“Someone had to. He was being a stubborn arsehole.”

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black. Do you have even a hint of self-awareness in that inflated ego of yours?” Tony’s face was shocked and appalled that the Captain had dared to say such a thing to him. When did Cap learn to sass like that?

“You just have no respect for authority, do you, Stark?”

“I respect those who deserve it.” That was an open insult, but the Captain merely smiled sardonically and ignored it.

“And Fury doesn’t?”

“Not just Fury,” Tony muttered. But it was loud enough that Clint, with his limited hearing could pick up on it, so it definitely didn’t escape Steve’s hearing.

“Excuse me?” He rounded on Tony, getting in his face. Clint rolled his eyes. They could both be so juvenile.

“How many times has he lied to us, manipulated us, hidden something vital from us for too long?” Tony pushed him away and turned to face the bed.

“He has his reasons, I’m sure.” Steve didn’t believe that. Clint knew for a fact that he didn’t. Clint and Natasha may work for SHIELD, but they all knew to be suspicious and question orders when appropriate. Steve just had more tact than to be blatantly impudent towards Fury.

“How about you stop being the perfect soldier for once and actually think for yourself.” Tony rounded on Steve again.

“Why do you always have to turn this back on me, Stark?” Steve looked so completely done with this conversation. It was like every argument always devolved into this, petty little insults and personal comments.

“Because you’re just so goddamn eager to please that you never stand up for us, for the Avengers.  Whose side are you on Rogers, theirs or ours?”

“How could you even ask that?” Steve looked so genuinely hurt that Clint wanted to punch Tony. If he’d been in his body, he would have.

Steve was stronger than almost anyone and had been through so much. It was so easy to forget that he was the youngest of them. Yet he inspired the desire to protect in those around him. Despite his tough exterior, he was so gentle and kind. He didn’t have to persuade people to his side. They came willingly, ready to defend him. He made everyone want to be more, to do more.

“Well? Gonna answer me, gorgeous? Or are you going to freeze up?” He put all the emphasis on ‘freeze’. The Captain seemed to do the opposite, exploding into a hot rage.

“Why don’t you ever just shut up?” He pushed Tony into the wall. Clint braced himself for fist to face impact.

Instead, Steve pushed his own body into Tony’s, pinning him against the wall. He was a head taller that Tony, but he was bent so he wasn’t towering over the other man. They were pressed together from head to toe. They were panting, breathing in the same air, staring into each other’s eyes with anger.

Tony smirked and went to say something no doubt incendiary along the lines of ‘why don’t you make me?’, when Steve shocked Tony and Clint by shutting him up. With his mouth.

_The fuck?!_

It wasn’t a sweet kiss. It was barely a kiss at all. It certainly didn’t look like a lot of fun from where Clint was standing. And he couldn’t comprehend what had happened. Cap had kissed Stark? Had he actually been dead all this time, with this whole ghost thing being some sort of freaky hallucination or personal hell?

No one took a breath for 20 seconds after Steve pulled away. Tony was flushed, mouth hanging open and eyes wider than a child’s at Christmas. Steve was looking less shocked, but then again it simply wasn’t possible to look more shocked than Tony right now. It looked like Cap couldn’t believe he’d actually done it, but he looked more or less resigned to the inevitable yelling that was to follow.

In another move that Clint had never predicted, as Steve finally regrouped and went to pull away and apologise in his adorable, bumbling and blushing way, Tony grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and dragged them back together in a more controlled and, judging by the sounds, enjoyable kiss.

Clint wanted to pinch himself and bleach his eyes. He had seen a different side to them both throughout this whole experience. But he still hadn’t seen this coming. Not in a million years.

They were currently rutting against the wall, moaning and kissing like the world was about to end. They’d lived through several universe ending catastrophes and it took this for them to get together? These guys were seriously messed up. Coming from Clint and his extensive emotional baggage, that was saying something.

Gasps of “we should’ve done this ages ago”, “fuck, don’t stop” and “put that smart mouth to better use” were now embedded in Hawkeye’s brain and he really, really just wanted to curl up and cry.

The door opened to admit the cute blonde doctor, Thor, Bruce and Natasha, who looked somewhat unhappy to be there. The way she rushed to Clint’s side betrayed how much she’d missed him and her anxiousness of being in the hospital.

Steve and Tony had split apart as if electrocuted, but the bruised lips, dishevelled clothes and flushed cheeks gave them away as surely as a flashing neon sign saying ‘we’ve been dry humping’ would’ve. Plus, the rather noticeable bulges in their pants, which Clint would give anything to not notice.

“Did you guys forget that they’re waking him up today?” Bruce smirked at them, as if he was entirely unfazed by seeing his team leaders’ heavy petting in his colleague’s hospital room.

Thor merely smiled at them, with the brief comment of “finally”, as if he’d known it was coming. He probably had, what with his infinite wisdom and wise kingly ways.

Natasha spared them barely a glance, but she had definitely noticed and didn’t look too shocked, focussed almost entirely on Clint instead.

The poor doctor was blushing as if she’d never seen anyone so much as touch before. Two superheroes kissing seemed to cause a mini mental breakdown. It was cute and definitely suited her. Clint made a note to ask her out if and when he was finally back in his body.

Steve and Tony muttered some unintelligible nonsense in response. Eventually, the doctor snapped out of it and began the process of bringing Clint back to consciousness, conspicuously not looking at Tony or Steve, who were conspicuously not making eye contact with anyone. The others crowded around, focussing entirely on the procedure, fingers crossed and hoping for good news.

~~~~~~

He began to wake. He could feel it. He saw himself stir in the bed, felt it in his non-existent body too, but it was seeing himself finally move that shocked him the most. Although seeing Steve and Tony making out was still the number one shock of the day.

His real eyes opened and he looked up to see himself disappearing. It made his head hurt, being at two places at once, but it was undeniably cool as he waved goodbye to himself. He looked around the other faces gathered beside his bed and couldn’t help but giggle. The drugs they had him were really something else.

“It’s not your fault but you’re forgiven anyway, Tony. You’re welcome, guys.” Was the only thing he managed, before he promptly passed out again. It was hardly coherent, but the message seemed to reach its target, not that Clint was conscious to see.  

Tony had flushed even darker than he had before. Everyone had turned to stare at him, even Steve, who now put his arm around Tony’s shoulder and to the surprise of everyone, wasn’t shaken off.

Tony shrugged into the embrace instead, indicating that he had no idea what Barton was blathering about. But he looked pretty pleased with himself and if his smile was a little watery, no one was going to say anything.

~~~~~~

By the time Clint woke up again, he had forgotten the whole thing. He still hit on the cute doctor and managed to get her number. She’d reddened and stammered when he’d asked and somehow he just knew she’d look adorable blushing.

He didn’t seem at all surprised that Steve and Tony had suddenly shacked up, though he’d have sworn up and down that he hadn’t had a clue before the accident that they would ever get together, thinking their frustration was purely antagonistic.

Strangely, he found himself feeling somewhat responsible for their finally resolving the tension, though he didn’t know why. It’s not like him being hurt could possibly do what hundreds of near death experiences couldn’t have.

Later, when the world was once again in trouble and was wrongly blaming Tony, he simply said “It’s not your fault but you’re forgiven anyway, Tony.” Tony looked at him strangely, but smiled and cuddled into Steve’s side as they went off to save the world yet again.


End file.
